Mail-bag-pick-up mechanism.



G. H. CHRISTY.

MAIL BAG PICK-UP MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED APR.27, 1914.

Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

INVENTOR WITNESSES:

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GUY I-I. CHRISTY,OF SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOB OF TW'O-FIFTHS T0 OLIVER BOYEA, OF SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA.

MAIL-BAG-PICK-UP MECHANISM.

Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

Application filed. April 27, 1914. Serial No. 834,611.

useful Improvements in Mail-Bag-Pick-Up Mechanism, of which the following is a specification. V i

This invention relates to improvements in mail bag pick-up mechanism of the type CllS- closed in my co-pending application filed March 16, 191%, Ser. No.82h897.

It, is (one of the objects. of the present inventionto provide a mail bag handling apparatuswhich is capable of discharging or casting oil mail'bags or parcels at railway.

stations "without stopping or slowing up the railway mail car. 3 I I It is also an object of the present invention to providea niail bag handling apparat e which combines a cast-01f mechanism and a means for picking-up parcelsfrom a stationarysupportat a station past which the train or mail caris traveling.

. The invention consists of a crane turnably supported upon the side wall of a car, which crane is adapted to be lockedin a perpendicular position relative thereto, having a latch or bolt member for carrying mail bags, or other parcels, and which may be tripped by a coacting abutment member at avpredetermined station, and further includes a pick-up device, cooperable with a stationary support, with a detachable .hook, to which may be attached the mail bags, or other parcels, to be picked up andtransferred to the traveling railway car. I

It also comprises details of construction which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawlngs, 1n

whicht n F lgure 1 1s a side elevatlon of the a.pparatus with the parts in the pick up positionl Fig. 2"isa vertical sectional View on line w m, Fig. 1, look1ng1n thedlrectlon of the arrow. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the mechanism carried by'the car.

In the drawings, 2 represents a portion of a railway car having a doorway or window 3. Thereis secured on one side of the car suitable bearings 4, in which is supported a crane 5 turnable about a vertical aXis in the bearings 4. The crane 5 is providedat its lower inner end with a pintle .6, through which and the adjacent bearing may be run a locking pin 7, connected by a cord or equivalent 8 to the crane 5; the pin being adapted to lock the crane in the desired angular position with relation to the side of the car.

The cast-off device comprises a triangular bow or loop 9, hinged 'on' a bearing 10 of the crane, and has its upper end projecting somewhat, as at 11, so that, when the how 9 is adjusted in the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2, it is locked therein by a lever or dog 12 secured on a crank-shaft 13 mounted on the crane 5. The outer end of the crank-shaft 13 is provided with a striking lever 14, which, when turned to the vertical dotted line position indicated in Fig. 2, is adapted to abut a fixed striker 15, Fig.1, arranged in its path. The rotation of the crank-shaft 13, when the striking arm 1% is stripped by the device 15, carries the dog 12 from engagement with the end 11 of the bow 9 and this is thrown to the full line position, Fig. 2, by a contractile spring 16 connected thereto and to a convenient part of the crane5.

In its lowermost position the bow 9 moves into engagement with curved guide mem here 17 connected to a suitable tower or stationary support 18. In line with the curved guides 17-there is provided a hook 19 with an upwardly extending arm having an eye 20 with a safety latch 21 which is adapted to close the mouth of the opening of the hook. The hook 19 is readily mounted upon and demountable from a pinor bearing member 22 of the standard 18; the hook 19 having an inclined slot 23 for the reception of the stationary pin 22. The hook 19 has a downwardly extending portion 2a to which may be suitably connected or attached the mail bags or other parcels, indicated at 25, which are to be picked up from a station by the crane 5 of the railway car.

Tn operation, the station attendant attaches the mail bags or parcels to the hook 19, which is adjusted with its slot 23 straddling the supporting pin 22 oi: the tower or standard 18, whereupon it will assume the position indicated in Fig. As before stated, when the trip arm 14: of the crank-shaft 13 is thrown in the direction indicated by the arrow, Fig. 2, the locking dog 12 releases the how 9 so that it swings on its journal 10 to the lowermost position, and during its movement with the car will be carried into engagement with the curved guides 17 over which it will slide, yieldably, and pass into the mouthof the hook 19, the upper end of which projects above the top plane of the guides 17 After the lower end of the bow or pick-up device 9 has on ably supported in a fixed base or hearing 18. and it may be-locked 1n the des1red angular 7 position by suitable pins 18". Thus the horij zontally and upwardly projecting portions of the tower 18 can be turned to a position to safely clear the mail receiving and delivering apparatus of the railway cars. In order to assist the operator or attendant in mounting a heavy parcel or bundle of bags 25 on the supporting pin 22' of the standard, I provide a suitable block andtackle'26,

the hook of which may be connected to the mail hook 19. Upon the application of sufficient power to the tackle the parcel may be easily 1 lifted into position to 1 allow the mounting of the hook19 on the supporting pin 22.

' When the aparatus is to be used for easting off or delivering mail bags or parcels at a station, the operator turns the crank-shaft 13'to draw over a connecting link 27 mounted on the crank of the crankshaft,'the opposite end of the link being connected to a lever 28 of a rocker-shaft 29.

The rocker-shaft 29' is provided with a lever 30,'to the end of which is pivoteda pin or bolt 31 which is adapted to be turned into the horizontal position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 for insertion into a keeper 32 on the-crane. There is mounted upon thebolt 31, when in a horizontal position and support ed in the part 32, a bagorparcel tobe delivered at a desired station. Upon the tripping of the striking lever 1 1 the crank-shaft13 is revolved and the pick-up" bail or bow is released and themail-carrying pin 31 is withdrawn from the hanger32 and thus drops the mail bags or other parcelswhen withdrawn from the keeper 32. Thus it will be seen that I have provided a combined parcel delivering and receiving apparatus for moving vehicles, such as railway mail cars.

When the striking lever 14 is in an upright position, for engagement with the striker, it is held in this position partly by the friction of the short end 11 of the bow 9 under tension of the spring 16 and also "partly by the link 2'? and its lever 28 to which latter is connected a tension "spring 28, This spring 28 is'connected to a pendant arml5 of framed and acts to yieldably thrust the bolt 3l;int0 hanger 32, at1the" same time maintaining the lever 14 upright with the lug 12 imposed on the end 11. Upon the striking lever 14 engaging striker 15 the spring 28 yields and allows lever 14 to turn down, simultaneously withdrawing bolt 31, after which the spring contracts and throws the lever 14' and crank 13 to an indefinite position. 7

The bag delivering mechanism is the subject matter of my priorapplication filed March16, 1914, Serial No. 824,897.

7 Having thus described my invention, what I claimand "desire to secureby Letters Patent iscombination, a1 crane adapted to project from a car during the operation of transferring mails, ancrank-ishaft on the crane','f a pick-up device mounted on the crane and normally retained inoperative-by the crank-shaft, atnd parcel." supporting means on the crane and operatively connect- 7 ed to the shaft for operation therebyito de-V liver an article, an operation of thecr ankshaft releasing the pick-upfdevice to an operative position and'delivering theparcell 2. In combination, afcrane' adapted to project from-a car during the operation of. transferring malls, a crank-shaft on the crane,a pickup device pivoted tothecrane and releasably engaged bythe crank-shaftfor normally being retained inoperative anda parcel delivery means movably mounted:

; on the crane and'operable by the 'shaftto' effect a delivery, whereby on operating the crank-shaft the device isreleased toopera-' tive 1 position and a deliverable "movement imparted to the delivery means. V

l 3. The combination in" a mail bag cast off 3 and pickup device, of a cranetur'nably, con ;nected toa railway car, a bolt upon which may obe mount'ed-the mail bags to be delivered and engageable with a keeperlfonthe.

crane, a member normally heldinoperative upon the crane and adapted to pickup a mail bag carrier at a station, and means for retracting the bolt to release the mail bags thereonffor deposit the station'and permit of-said member movingto an operative positionfor cooperation with the mail bag" carrier at the station' 4. In combination, a' -crane, a'crank-shaft 1 'havinga crankportion and a" lever, 'aj pick up device pivotedbetween its ends to the crane, the lever of theishaft-being adapted to releasably engage one end portion of the device to hold thealatter'inoperative, a de-' livery means operatively connected to "the crank portion of the shaft, and means for actuating the crank shaft to-release the 'pick-' up device to operative position and effect a delivery movement to the delivery means.

5. In a combined mail Jbag cast-off. and p1ck-updevice, a'crane, a crank-shaft there'- on, a spring tensioned pick-up means pivoted on the crane for movement independent of the crank-shaft, a member on the crankshaft to hold the pick-up means in retracted position, means to hold a parcel on the crane, means connected to the crank shaft to release the parcel, and means for actuating the crank-shaft to cause same to release the pick-up means and the parcel holding means.

6. In a combined mail bag cast-oft and pick-up device, a crane, a crank-shaft thereon, a spring tensioned pick-up means, a

member on the crank-shaft adapted to en gage With the pick-up means to hold the latter in inoperative retracted position, a keeper, a sliding pin cooperating With the keeper to hold a parcel, means connecting the pin and crank shaft whereby the latter upon movement will actuate the pin to release the keeper, and means for actuating the crank-shaft to cause same to release the parcel and pickup means.

7. In combination With a crane, a crank shaft thereon, pick-up means mounted for movement on the crane independent of the crank-shaft, means connected to the crankshaft for releasably holding the pick-up means inoperative, parcel holding means having a movable part operatively connected to the crank-shaft, and means to actuate the crank-shaft to release the parcel and the pick-up means.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

GUY H. GHRISTY. WVitnesses:

J. F. Srnncnon, GAVIN DALEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

